Protecting guard for attachment to wall receptacles



Nov. 15, 1949 .1. u. SOPHER 2,487,900

PROTECTING GUARD FOR ATTACHMENT TO WALL-RECEPTACLES Filed 001:. 23, 1946 J U SOPHER.

Patented Nov. 15, 1949 PROTECTING GUARD FOR ATTACHMENT TO'WAEL RECEPTACLES Julius U- Sopher, Baltimore, Md.

Application October 23, 1946, Serial No. 705,036

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electric insulators, also to electric conductor guard's, and especially tore; protecting guard for attachment to dual wallreceptacles.

Unprotected wall-receptacles aredangerous and subject to dangers from various-sources; for instance, from children whoare likely to pull out the conducting plugs and" probe into the sock rats withwhatever'ishandy tothem'; and if the probe be of metal there is obvious danger for both child and electric contacts. Even if sticks, paper or other non-conducting materials be set into the sockets,.it. may render. them ineiTective.

The main object of'this invention is to provide simple; effective: means to preclude; the dangers mentioned, while minimizing the cost of production and installation of. this safety. means or protectinggua'rdi Other objects and important features-:- are pointed out or impliedinthe following details of description; in connection. withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of this invention or wallreceptacle attachment, parts at lower-right being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the guard-plates or gates to be used interchangeably with those shown in Figs. 1, 2 and. 3, this view being reduced to about one-half scale from that of Figs. 1-3.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which, similar reference characters correspond to those in the accompanying drawings, the invention is described as follows:

In broad terms, the invention is an attachment for a wall-receptacle r, see Fig. 2, and comprises a guard for attachment to a wall-receptacle that includes an electric plug-socket (at ps) a casing 5 having a wall 6 that has means s to secure it to a wall-receptacle, and has an opening 6a therethrough to permit an electric plug p to extend therethrough while the contact-plugs (not shown) are engaged with their complemental contacts in an electric circuit, said casing having a continuous wall 1 that adjoins said rear wall and has a slot la therethrough substantially parallel to said rear wall, said continuous wall having a pair of parallel guard-plate-retainers lb that extend from said slot toward the opposite side of said continuous wall, in combination with the guardplate 8 normally seated and removably secured in said slot and between the retainers of said 55 to be passed therethrough.

More specifically, the invention. also comprises a substantially continuous or unslotted guardplate 8a adaptedto be seated and secured in said casing in such a position: as to entirely cover the opening of the rear wall when said plug is absent from-said plug socket, also, said casing'being provided with second slot-1a and a second pair of guard-plate-retainers 1b, anda second slotted guard-plateBb adapted to besecured in said second slotof' the casing and between retainers 1b of said second pair, the slot 8s of the'first' said guard-plate being sufficiently wide to receive the outer end portion or handle h ofa well-known' type of electric-plugwhile the second saidguardplate 81) isin proper position to prevent or limit outward movement of said handle while per mitting insulated conducting wires to extend through the slot 88'.

Moreover, the invention comprises springmeans 9 to resist sliding movement of said guardplate from its normal position, said spring-means being adapted to yield to strong pressure so as to release said guard-plates from said casing. The spring-means 9 of each guard-plate is located in a recess I0 and comprises a hump 9a, normally engaged with the upper margin of the slot Ta or la and is in a proper position to be reached and pressed inward while the handle 8h is being pulled outward. This spring-means, though quite simple, requires more strength and more mechanical knowledge than is usually possessed by small children, but is operable by any normal adult.

The protecting guard here shown is designed for use on a dual wall-receptacle, but the invention contemplates adapting the same general principle and broad combination to a single or multiple wall-receptacle; and though the device is here shown as composed mainly of insulating material, it may be composed of any appropriate material or combination of materials.

This device, as shown, accommodates either or both of the kinds of contact-plugs shown at p and p, either in the positions shown or in interengaged positions, for the slot BS is long enough and only wide enough to receive the insulated conductors c; and the slot 8s is long enough and Wide enough to receive the handle h at any point therealong, but not wide enough to permit the main body of either plug to be 3 moved thereinto. Therefore, when the guardplates are in the normal positions shown, the plugs cannot be disconnected from the socket ps.

Whenever the plugs are removed from the sockets, it is then advisable to substitute the unslotted guard-plate 8a for one of the slotted guard-plates.

The rear wall 6 is apertured at 6s for receiving the screws that secure the casing to the wallreceptacle.

Though I have described this invention specifically, I have no intention to limit my patent protection to the precise details of construction described in the foregoing and shown in the drawings; for the invention is susceptible of numerous changes within the scope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

My invention is claimed as follows:

1. In a guard for attachment to a wall-receptacle that includes an electric plug-socket, a casing having a rear wall that has means to secure it to a wall-receptacle and has an opening therethrough to permit an electric plug-body to extend therethrough while the plug-contacts are engaged with their complemental contacts in an electric circuit, said casing having a continuous wall that adjoins said rear wall and has a slot therethrough substantially parallel to said rear wall, said continuous wall having a pair of parallel guard-plateretainers that extend from said slot toward the opposite side of said continuous wall, in combination with a guard-plate normally seated and removably secured in said slot and between the retainers of said pair, said guard-plate having a straight slot that is open at one end and adapted to receive insulated conducting wires therethrough while being too narrow to permit the plug-bodies to be passed therethrough.

2. The combination described in claim 1, and a substantially continuous guard-plate that constitutes means securable between the guides of said pair when the first said guard-plate is absent therefrom, thereby to entirely cover the said opening in said rear wall when said plug is absent from said plug-socket, and means to removably secure said continuous guard-plate between said guardplate-retainers.

3. The invention described by claim 1, said casing being provided with a second slot and a second pair of guard-plate-retainers of substantially same size and contour as the first said guard-plate-retainers of substantially the same construction and arrangement as the first said retainers, and a second slotted guard-plate of substantially the same size and contour as the first-said guard-plate and provided with means to secure it in said second slot of the casing and between retainers of said second pair, the slot of the first said guard-plate being sufficiently wide to receive the outer end-portion or handle of a wellknown type of electric-plug while the second said guard-plate is in proper position to prevent or limit outward movement of said handle and to provide a space throughwhich said insulated conduction Wires can be extended to and through said slot of the first said guard-plate.

4. The invention described by claim 1, and spring-means operatively engaged with said casing and guard-plate to resist sliding movement of said guard-plate from its normal position, said spring-means being adapted to yield to strong pressure so as to release said guard-plate from said casing.

JULIUS U. SOPHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,157,957 Heise et al May 9, 1939 2,415,602 Monaco Feb. 11,1947 

